Golfito (pop. 18,000), former home of the United Fruit Company headquarters, sits on the northeast coast of the Golfo Dulce. Drastic banana production cutbacks in 1984 led officials to revive a weakening local economy by establishing a duty-free zone in the northern end of the city. This well-known shopping area fills the hotels year-round (especially on the weekends) with ticos who come to buy appliances, clothing, and alcohol without tariffs or taxes, while industrial ships bring in fertilizer and export palm oil from surrounding farms. Unlike surrounding surfing towns, the numerous bars create a noisy local nightlife until they are shut down at midnight. Water taxis and private boats in the harbor ferry tourists to more hospitable locales like Pavones, Zancudo, Cacao, or Puerto Jiménez. Its convenience, however, makes Golfito worth stopping at for a few days—it’s a great base for touring the bays and beaches of Golfo Dulce or for exploring nearby nature reserves and Parque Nacional Piedras Blancas.
Golfito runs along a 4km north-south stretch of beach road, with the gulf to the west. The city is physically and economically divided into two sections. The swankier Zona Americana lies near the duty-free zone and airport and includes everything north of the hospital. It’s home to a mix of US retirees and better-off ticos. The bus terminal, the Puerto Jiménez ferry dock, called muellecito or “little dock,” and many smaller businesses and sodas occupy the shabbier Pueblo Civil to the south. Red, white, and blue buses marked ”Golfito Centro” (¢155) and taxis (¢500) run up and down Golfito between these two areas.
There are numerous cheap, simple accommodations in and around Pueblo Civil. Quieter accommodations away from the bustle of the city can be found both north and south of town, but these tend to be a bit pricey.
You can grab a meal anywhere along the road between the pharmacy and the Banco Nacional. There are more sodas than anything else, and prices hover consistently between ¢1500 and ¢2500 for a full meal. Alternatively, go to MegaSuper across from the soccer stadium. It has all the necessities, from fresh fruit to hygiene products. (☎2775 2274. Open M-Th 8am-8pm, F-Sa 6am-9pm, Su 6am-7pm. AmEx/MC/V.) Supermercado Pearson is nearer to the Pueblo Civil. (☎2775 0054. Open M-Sa 7am-7pm, Su 7am-6pm. AmEx/MC/V.)
The “outdoors” lie deceptively close to the edges of town: just minutes outside Golfito, the sounds of urban bustle give way to the gurgling of nearby streams and the twitters of bickering birds. And though the beaches and forests feel remote, their proximity to the city makes them susceptible to many of the same threats as the surrounding urban environment. Travelers should be wary of exploring these areas alone at night.
Playa De Cacao. Though this beach is easily accessible from Golfito, it’s rarely crowded. The vegetation reaches all the way down to the water in many places, but there are plenty of smooth sandbars as well. Here, the warm water of the Pacific calmly caresses the shore. Because the Cacao peninsula and Puntarenitas island make a natural marina of Golfito Bay, the water here is extremely calm and rarely rises more than a foot with the tide. Cacao is known locally as Captain Tom’s, so beachgoers should ask the taxi to drop them there. Tom’s wrecked ship remains a point of interest on the southern edge of the main beach. (6km north around the bay from Golfito; a pleasant 1hr. walk. Taxis cost about ¢6000, but the water taxis from the muellecito or muelle bananero are a cheaper, more enjoyable option, especially during the rainy season when the road can become impassable. 10min.¢3000.)
Refugio Nacional De Fauna Silvestre Golfito. Poorly publicized Refugio Nacional de Fauna Silvestre Golfito protects the steep, lush hills of primary rainforest above Golfito, encompassing distinct terrains that are home to 125 species of trees. This forest area is visible from the town, and extends from the edges of its residential areas to Playa Cacao. The reserve has the advantage of remaining fairly dry even during the rainy season and makes a good alternative to more demanding routes in Parque Nacional Corcovado .
The park includes four principal trails beginning at various locations throughout Golfito. The main park entrance provides access to the easiest and best-marked trail just north of the Golfito airport. Take any of Golfito’s local buses and get off at the entrance to the duty-free zone near the airstrip. Walk past the airstrip to the marked trailhead. The park office is located 800m down the dirt road. A short, well-marked trail begins behind the park office and leads through impressive primary rainforest to a small waterfall about 20min. away. Follow the main trail for about 10min. until the trail encounters a stream. Follow the stream the rest of the way to the waterfall.
Another waterfall trail begins near the police station on the road toward Playa Cacao. The waterfall is on the property of the public water supplier, so to take this trail you must have a note from the park office or a guide. Take the gravel road on the south side of the police station and follow it straight through the neighborhood of Llano Bointo. The road winds through beautiful countryside with flower-covered pastures on one side and trees on the other for 30min. before reaching a fork. Bear left there and follow the road for another 15min. Here you’ll reach a small house where the guard for the water supply lives, and you’ll have to present permission to continue. Behind the house the trail narrows before crossing a stream and climbing uphill for another 10min. The waterfall here is more impressive than the one near the park entrance and has several cascades. The hike should take about 2hr. round-trip.
Another trail through more difficult territory begins behind the Banco Nacional. Nicknamed “Las Torres,” this trail (2hr.) leads uphill through the forest to the radio towers at the top of the hill and offers spectacular views of Golfito and all of the Golfo Dulce from the top. To find the trailhead, take the side road just south of the Banco Nacional and follow it through the residential area. At the point where the road starts to loop back around, there is a small dirt road leading uphill on the right marking the beginning of the trail. Because the trailhead can be tricky to find, a guide is recommended for visitors. This hike is not recommended at night or for solo travelers since the urban location makes it susceptible to crime. There is a US$10 per person park entrance fee, but it is rarely collected. As of now there are very few facilities within the park and none for overnight stays. For more information, contact Susan at the MINAE office in Golfito (☎2775 2620 or 2775 0075. Open M-F 8am-4pm. For guided tours the park recommends Pedro Caballo who offers 6-hr. horseback tours of the refuge and Playa Cacoa. (☎2775 2240, 8876 7357 or 2732 1229.) Don Martin of the Ecotour Development Foundation (☎2775 1813 or 818 2433) will also guide hiking or horseback tours of the waterfalls (Hiking: 6hr. US$60 per person. Horseback: 8hr. US$80per person. 5-person min.)
Tosa Wildlife Sanctuary. Located on Cana Blanca beach, on the western edge of Piedras Blancas National Park, the sanctuary is only accessible by water taxi (1hr., US$100-125 per boat). The purpose of the sanctuary is to rescue, rehabilitate and release animals into the rainforest. The sanctuary receives little government funding, so directors Earl and Carol Crews rely on the donations of visitors and the work of volunteers. The Crews lead 2hr. tours of the sanctuary that focus on environmental awareness and animal protection. Visitors are able to interact with several of the animals currently under the sanctuary’s care including toucans, spider monkeys, and sloths. Tourists can arrange tours by calling Carol and Earl at least a day in advance (☎ 8861 1309) and should leave food and children under 6 in the boat. (osawildlife.org. US$20 donation requested with visit.)
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For 52 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.
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